Better Luck Next Time
by openerror
Summary: An exchange of words, biotics and bullets between a krogan battlemaster and an asari commando. The forgotten past of two figures who latter rose to galactic prominence. My first fanfiction ever! Your reviews will mean a lot.
1. A Conversation Over Drinks

**Better Luck Next Time**

**Part 1 – A Conversation Over Drinks**

Laughter rang out from the young asari, who then tilted her head and regarded her krogan companion with a smirk.

"You are contracted to kill me? So what do you think?" Her question rang out against the steady thud of electronic music in the background.

The krogan sitting across her emptied his _bowl_ of ryncol in one gulp, red eyes gleaming as he did so. Setting down the bowl, he returned the asari's smirk with a broad smile laced with sarcasm. To those who are unfamiliar with krogan body language, however, it might look like he was baring his teeth, and preparing to devour the slender blue beauty …

"Just politics at work, Aleena. Dirty secrets being covered up before they blow up in someone's face." He paused to savor the lingering sting of ryncol in his mouth. "Wonder if that's why the volus are so stuffed up. Too many things hidden in their suits," he grunted. That earned a chuckle from the asari known as Aleena. The volus – those in Council Space at least – were not exactly known for being kind and honest, virtues that were somehow never associated with wealthy bankers and businessmen. The act of ordering an assassination just fit that stereotypical image of unscrupulousness too well. The fact that they were all short and rounded was not helping either ...

"Perhaps I _do _happen to know too much about a particular volus … _But what would you do now_?" Aleena pressed on with her question. Her tone of voice was the same as before, but her smirk grew ever slightly wider. As an asari late in her maiden stage, she would never reject a good dose of excitement, especially when it involved making use of her commando training, and fighting a powerful krogan biotic. As an individual's capabilities evolve, his or her standard for "excitement" is also inadvertently raised.

She was also wary of Wrex, of course. However, if the krogan really wanted her dead instantly, then they would not be having this conversation at all. Hence, there is no cause for alarm. For now.

"A contract is a contract, and he did promise me credits. Lots of it," Wrex answered after a moment of pause. As much as he respected the asari for her prowess in combat, there was not any other viable course of action. They were both professional mercenaries – _killers _–whose (mostly) solo successes had resulted in their reputation and steady trickle of clients. Such is the nature and stake of the profession they have chosen: if someone gives you an assignment that you can do, you do it or risk losing status. Nonetheless, Wrex thought, if Aleena was going down, shebetter went down in a straight-up fight. A warrior as capable as her deserved no less.

"…but, I will let you choose where to fight. Find a place where we decide our fates in a glorious battle," Wrex continued, arms spread out for dramatic effect.

An eyebrow arched up. "Oh? I know of a _good_ place. Big enough for us to run around for days.. Uploading the coordinates to you now." She fired up her omni-tool, and, after a moment of searching, found the relevant entry for transfer. Beeping sounds from Wrex's own omni-tool caught his attention, and he accepted the data from Aleena _after_ the automatic virus scans completed without incident. One can never be too careful in this line of work. He began to skim through the data, as Aleena spoke again.

"It's an old salarian space station. Used to be a staging area for surveys into the Terminus. Now it is just crawling with _fellow_ mercs and pirates. No … one of consequence … will get into our way there." She meant to say "innocents", but checked herself before the word escaped her lips; youthful pride scorning at any signs of being "soft". However, looking up from his omni-tool and seeing the fleeting uncertainty in her face, Wrex nonetheless quickly caught on.

"Softie," Wrex chuckled … and composed himself instantly when deep blue eyes burn into his hide.

"Let's see if you still have the quad to say that, _krogan_, when I _pull_ your hapless ass up into the air. See you in 2 days." Leaving Wrex with the threat, Aleena marched out of the bar with her head held high.

And she rather conveniently forgot to pay for her drinks.

"_Women,_"grumbled the krogan battlemaster.

**Explicitly show that a volus has order Wrex to kill Aleena**

**Clean up highlighted areas**


	2. The Fight: Up Equals Down

**Better Luck Next Time**

**Part 2 – Up Equals Down**

Fingers worked deftly to insert a fresh ammunition block into the shotgun. After the gun _clicked_ secure, the owner of the fingers – a krogan – turned around the corner sharply, weapon at the ready … and found himself facing down yet another featureless corridor. A heavy metal gate stood at the end of the corridor, beyond which lied a storage area. Sparks sputtered through the holographic interface of a control panel nearby, the result of a hasty attempt to sabotage the door.

It was the second day of Wrex and Aleena's little duel on this backwater space station, and they have driven away or eliminated most life onboard. As the pair stepped off their respective shuttles, they were met with a welcoming party of six, and an equal amount of rifles pointing in their faces. Being on the opposite side of the law, the motley crew inhabiting the station – that is, mercenaries and pirates – was doubly wary of unexpected visitors. Men scurried for cover as Aleena suddenly launched a _warp_ blast towards them, while Wrex drew out a big, ominous-looking shotgun. As bullets and biotics started flying, the body count went up slowly and steadily. Not that Wrex and Aleena actually cared to kill any more of "bystanders" (after all, they were here to fight each other), but those who got in the pair's way swiftly met their ends.

But the chase was nearing an end. Wrex has cornered Aleena into an ever smaller section of the station; access to other sectors was blocked off by either environmental hazards or security lockdown. Now, as he worked around the damage to the gate controls (dealt by a half-charged _overload_), he could not help to smirk: Aleena was going nowhere.

For sure he has noticed the HAZMAT warning labels on the gate, but he paid them no heed.

A dark, cavernous room opened up to Wrex. Stacks of crates rose up to the ceiling, and at the opposite side was a wide corridor that led to the med bay and loading docks. Activating his helmet's night vision function, Wrex slowly advanced into room, crimson eyes searching left and right for the asari. Behind him, the gate slowly came down as his override on the controls wore off.

He forgot to look _up_.

Several _eezo_ containers around Wrex suddenly exploded. His armor protected him from the scorching heat, but his low-light visor amplified the sudden brightness and turned the world into a blinding blotch of white. Weightlessness washed over him, as he was slowly _pulled _up from the ground and turned upside down. Instinctively he drew up a barrier around himself … and not a moment too soon. The barrier shuddered from the impact of three heavy pistol shots and dissipated. Two additional shots pentrated his armor and lodged in his abdomen. Suddenly, the _pull_ was gone

and Wrex landed hard on his face.

THUD

Aleena leaped from her hiding place on top of the crates, and landed a few steps away from the mess of krogan. She was wincing from her overheated biotic amp – the intense hide-and-seek has taken its toll – but her actions were still nimble. Weariness hardened into determination on her beautiful blue face, as she swiftly approached her predator. A well-aimed kick took the shotgun out of Wrex's hand even as he rolled over and tried to take aim.

"Any last words?" She leveled her Carnifex Hand Cannon. There is this signature smirk of hers again, creeping onto her lips.

_Too much talk before making __the__ kill__. _Wrex drew a deep breathe, as the trauma from the ambush quickly wore off. Krogans were infamous for their rapid regeneration, and getting hit by a few bullets … well, basically amounts to a stroll in the proverbial krogan park. Blue light sparked in the darkness as Wrex _threw _Aleena across the room. The asari smashed into a wall next to the loading bay entrance, the impact knocking all the wind and smugness out of her. She gingerly picked herself up, just in time to see an angry krogan charging towards her. She braced herself for the inevitable.

"YOU WATCHED TOO MANY ACTION VIDS PIJAK!" was Wrex last words before he swung his armored fist at Aleena's head ...

CLANG

… or rather, the wall panel next to Aleena's head. Wrex's vision still has yet to recovered fully from the eezo explosion, causing his powerful punch to miss the target by a whole three inches. When he realized his mistake and dug his fist out of crumpled metal, Aleena has already beat feet into the corridor leading away from the storage area. With a growl he went down the same path, only to see her limp into the medbay and closed the door behind her. The holographic interface on the door _disappeared_ seconds later, indicating that the controls have been fried completely.

Coming to a halt, Wrex grimly readied the flame torch on his omnitool. One thought - and one thought only - the battlemaster's mind: Aleena has made it personal.

Medbay, Aleena, sealed in

Find explanation for the eventual core overload (Aleena having planned; write scene with her and detonator)

Explain that the medlab leads to shuttle bay through vents. Thus Aleena escaped BEFORE Wrex did; went into FTL/through mass relay - invisible to Wrex


End file.
